Blish,James – And all the Stars a Stage

that, don’t they? But being famous might help. A lot of women these days

think a little about good genes before they decide who they’re going to

marry next. If you weren’t born of a rich mother, or one with political

connections, it couldn’t hurt to have something else conspicuous in

And all the Star& a Stage 17

your record-something that shows that you’re pretty good in your own right.”

“Dream on,” Jurg said. “That’s how they got us in this trap in the first

place, and that’s just how they mean to keep us there. We aren’t ever going

to get out of it by swallowing their little myths down whole, I’ll tell you

that much.’

‘Well, tell me some more while you’re on the plat. form. How are we going

to get out of itr

“The time will come,” Jurg said, a little portentously, scratching under

one armpit. “I don’t think you’re really ripe for it yet, Bim. But you’ll

come around to it on your own before long; I know the type. I just hope it

isn’t too late by then.”

“Suit yourself,” Jorn said shortly. He had heard nonsense like that before,

often enough to know approximately what it was supposed to mean. He looked

at the address again, and then at his two-credit stateissue watch. What

harm could it do to follow the item up? After all, he bad nothing else

meaningful to do. His choices were restricted to listening to Jurg become

more and more cryptic, throwing Jurg out and watching the next episode of

“Pat’s Other Jon,” or sitting in a park surreptitiously chucking gravel at

the birds. A choice between another day of despair… and room a-10-prime,